


In the Dark

by Queen crowner (Taitai83)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Accidental Identity Reveal, But not explicit, Established Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, LadyNoir - Freeform, sleepy mistakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:15:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28575870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taitai83/pseuds/Queen%20crowner
Summary: Ladybug loves her partner and boyfriend, even if they can only be together under masks and in anonymous hotel rooms. Chat's civilian life calls him away early in the morning, and that's when she screws everything up.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 17
Kudos: 221





	In the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot I had written this, and found it recently when I thought maybe my depression was lessening enough to consider writing again. Tweaking it was the baby step I needed to take toward working on all my other WIPs, so maaaaaybe I will be able to come back to proper writing soon? I've missed it!

The shrill noise of the alarm pulled Marinette violently from her sleep, but she was much more offended when she realized it had pulled the warm body that was wrapped around her away as he attempted to shut it off. Once the sound had stopped, she twisted to latch on to his waist and pull him back.

“No.”

“My Lady,” he reprimanded softly, his soft fingers stroking the skin on her arm. “You know I’m really sorry, but I have to go.”

“No,” she said again, pressing her chest into his back and kissing along his shoulder in an attempt to lure him to stay. She was rewarded with a shudder, and took delight that she had that kind of power over her 6’ superhero of a boyfriend. She tried to up the ante by stroking her hand down his stomach towards his more sensitive area, but he grabbed it and held on firmly.

“Your attempts at seduction are impressive, but unfortunately I have to resist them.”

“It’s so eeaaaarly!” she whined, giving up. “It’s still dark outside!”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Chat apologized again, twisting to face her, and she could imagine the green of his eyes standing out against the black of his felt sleeping mask, even if she couldn’t see it in the dark of their hotel room. “It’s a really early appointment.”

“I’m going to punch your boss in the face,” she groaned into his shirt.

“While I would certainly pay money to see that, right now it doesn’t change anything.” Chat chuckled as he pulled her in and kissed her forehead softly, nuzzling around the edge of her own mask. “Stay, sleep in. I like to think of you in bed like this.”

“I will make very good use of this bed while you go do whatever it is you have to do at this ungodly hour,” she huffed, but she pulled him in for a kiss anyway. After a moment, she smirked against his lips. “And you will miss out on all the _use_ I intend to put this bed to. Won’t that be so sad?”

“You’re killing me,” he groaned. “But unfortunately, it still doesn’t change anything.”

“Fiiiine,” she sighed, releasing him and making a production out of turning over in the fluffy bedding. “Go be a grown up.”

He murmured something she didn’t quite catch and brushed a kiss against her cheek, and then reluctantly pulled away fully. Marinette whined audibly so he would know how disappointed she was before burrowing into the soft sheets as she listened to Chat quietly gather his things.

Then soft snick of the door closing made her look up in surprise. The dark room was still and silent, as he intended to allow her to go back to sleep.

But she thought he would have given her a last kiss goodbye.

She huffed petulantly and turned over, the soft luxury sheets and large bed somewhat diminished in their appeal now that they were devoid of the love of her life. Irritably, she tugged the felt mask from her face, allowing a moment of relief as the cool air of the room hit the skin that had been hidden beneath it. The masks were a blessing, allowing her to see the heat and love in his eyes and feel the sweat on his skin as they made love, but after a whole night they got irritating. A small price to pay for being able to spend the night in his arms, but she wasn’t going to wear it when she didn’t have to. Enjoying the cool feel of the pillow on her cheek, she spread her arms wide and sank into the mattress, fully intending to stay until the very minute of check out time.

Marinette was just on the edge of sleep again when a sharp gasp startled her awake. Squinting out at the room, she spied the shadow of her boyfriend at the foot of the bed and smiled.

“Oh good, and here I thought you’d left without giving me a kiss!” she teased, stretching out her arms to him.

But Chat didn’t move.

“My- my lady. Your mask…” his voice warbled.

Marinette felt her blood run cold, and her hands flew to her face to confirm that no, she wasn’t wearing her mask. She gasped herself, propping herself up on her arm as she looked towards him in horror.

“B- but it’s dark, right? I can barely see you! You can’t see me, right?!”

“I-“ he hesitated. “I’m transformed. I didn’t want to turn on the light or bang into things and disturb you, so I transformed to have my night vision. So… I have my night vision.”

As he shifted his weight she could see his cat-eyes glow, catching the minimal light emitting from the television power button. There was no doubt he could see her perfectly well.

“Oh my god!” she cried, flopping down onto the bed, covering her face with her hands. “This is a disaster! I’m a disaster!”

She could feel the tears starting to build, her throat starting to tighten. Her breathing increased rapidly.

“Oh gosh, hey, hey my lady, it’s ok,” Chat soothed, climbing onto the bed and scooping her into his arms.

“I’m so sorry!” Marinette hiccupped, clutching at him. “I thought you’d left and I took off my mask without even checking and now I’ve ruined everything!”

“I- no, I was just taking a shower,” he explained, and now that he said it, she could smell the dampness in the air from the bathroom, and the soap on his skin. “I thought you heard me, I wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye.”

She knew that. She should have known. She buried her face in his neck and tried to breath, letting the scent of his skin, mingled with the fancy hotel soap, calm her, his hands rubbing circles on her back as she tried to steady her breathing.

“I’m so sorry,” she said again, quieter this time, sadder.

“Don’t be sorry, it’s going to be ok. I puurrromise.”

Marinette appreciated the terrible pun purely for the indication that he wasn’t totally freaking out like she was. Nevertheless, he was holding her awkwardly, stiffly, like he wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. After two years of comfortable intimacy, a new spike of fear rolled through her.

She sniffled against his neck, and asked the question.

“What are you _really_ thinking?”

He paused in his ministrations for a moment, then gave her a squeeze.

“Honestly, I’m not sure what to do. I know you’re upset so I’m trying to be comforting, but I’m just so damn elated that it’s kind of hard to contain. And I’m frustrated because if I don’t leave pretty soon I run the risk of being found out, but the idea of leaving right now is just crazy.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Elated?”

“ _Marinette_ ,” he chided, and yep, there it was. “You think it would be possible to be anything but ecstatic to find out it was _you_ in my bed this whole time?”

She felt her heart lighten somewhat.

“Just your bed, huh? Is that all I am to you?”

He stiffened.

“N- no! That’s not what I meant! I- of course I’m _completely-_ “

“I’m teasing, kitty-chat,” she cut him off, pinching his side, and he relaxed into her again.

“I’m glad you can tease right now,” he murmured into her hair. “We will need to talk about this, but-“

“Go,” she said, pulling back from him. “We can’t risk you too today.”

“We can talk about this later?”

She sighed, and gave him a wry smile.

“You know my name. Do you know where I live?”

He hesitated a moment, then nodded.

“Come see me tonight then, and we’ll talk.”

“ _Marinette,_ ” he murmured, stroking her cheek with the back of his claws, and her heart skipped a beat at the reverence in his tone. “My beautiful lady!”

He leaned in to kiss her, much more softly than she was expecting, like he was afraid he might scare her off.

Marinette grabbed his face between her hands and deepened the kiss herself, pouring out her fear and anxiety by pressing into his sturdy weight. She felt him inhale sharply and respond, kissing her back deeply and pulling her flush against his body, the claws of his suit pricking slightly in her hair.

After a moment he pulled back with a gasp, holding her back when she tried to chase him.

“P-please my lady,” he panted. “Please, if you keep kissing me like that I’m not going to leave.”

She shifted in his lap to try and kiss him again, but stilled when she felt the hardness pressing against her.

Not before he groaned in response, though.

“Pleeaaase,” he whined. “I won’t get home in time if I don’t leave now, and I won’t be _able_ to get home if I’m… you know.”

She giggled.

“Really? Just from that?”

“You say that like you aren’t the most incredible woman in existence, grinding into my lap like a goddess,” he sighed, leaning his forehead against hers.

“And you say _that_ so casually,” she replied, and leaned in to kiss him again, softer this time. “Sorry, kitty, didn’t mean to make things _hard_ for you. You’d better go, I’ll see you tonight.”

“I’ll see you _tonight!_ ” he exclaimed. “Oh my god I can see you tonight, at your apartment, because I know where you _live!”_

He flipped her onto the bed and kissed her again firmly. Before she could catch up, he was pulling back again.

“I’ll see you tonight, my lady! My Marinette!”

She giggled as he twirled gleefully around his baton before launching himself out of the window, his delight soothing her fears.

But after he was gone and the room was dark and quiet again, her smile drooped. Dropping back against the sheets, she sighed.

“Fuuuuuuuuck…”

“You can say that again,” Tikki piped up from the corner. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to talk to him tonight,” she replied. “I don’t know what the best thing to do is, but we can figure it out right? We’re partners, we’ll always be better together. Maybe this will be a good thing?”

She was trying to convince herself as much as Tikki, but she knew she couldn’t do this without Chat.

“I’m going back to sleep, maybe this will all have been a really weird dream,” she muttered, and pressed her face back into the pillow.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a half baked idea for a second chapter, but see that note about "debilitating depression" again so we'll see if I can manage it, no promises


End file.
